1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to splash protection attachment mounted on a snorkel for deep diving, surface diving or other water activities and more particularly to an improved splash protector mounted on an upper opening of a snorkel tube and served as a valve.
2. Related Art
Snorkels are ubiquitous tools for divers engaging in deep diving, surface diving or the like. A snorkel is designed as a breathing tube used in swimming under water or at the surface of water. The snorkel has an upper opening adapted to extend beyond the surface of water for air communication. The opening is closed automatically when the snorkel is submerged so as to prevent water from entering the snorkel tube. Otherwise, water may be inhaled into the mouth and lungs causing choke.
A wide variety of attachments as splash protectors each mounted on an upper opening of snorkel are available. Typically, such splash protector includes a float member adapted to close an air passage of the snorkel by virtue of its buoyancy when a snorkeler is submerged. A patent relevant to the invention is U.S. Pat. No. 5,960,791 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The disclosed dry snorkel comprises a float member A, a closure member B, a passage C, and a splash guard D as indicated by dotted lines. The patent is advantageous over other prior dry snorkels. However, the patent still suffered from a couple of disadvantages. For example, a snorkeler may move to incline the snorkel tube prior to submerging (see FIG. 2). This may cause the closure member B at an upper end of the float member A to block the passage C, resulting in the prohibition of snorkeler inhaling. Further, a strong suction is generated when a snorkeler quickly inhales a great amount of air even in a normal operating angle of the snorkel tube. As such, the closure member B is sucked to close the passage C, thereby stopping the air passage C. Thus, continuing improvements in the exploitation of splash protection device for snorkel are constantly being sought.